Halogenated hydrocarbons such as halomethanes, halogenated ethanes, ethenes and the like are widely used as refrigerants, inhalation narcotics, chemical intermediates and synthetic building blocks, fumigants, pesticides, flame retardants and pharmaceuticals [1]. As a result, these halogenated hydrocarbons have been found to be ubiquitous contaminants in air, water and food, some of which have been shown to be toxic and carcinogenic [2-4]. Further, a small number of halogenated hydrocarbons combine chemical inertness with high toxicity and are problematic as they tend to resist known remediation efforts.
Previously, halogenated hydrocarbons were reduced to hydrocarbons halogenated to a lesser degree under the action of certain metals. For instance, zinc has been used in the reduction of carbon tetrachloride to chloroform [5] and metal bonded hydrogen radicals generated in situ have been used to reduce halogenated hydrocarbons [6].
Only a small number of reagents are capable of reacting with halogenated hydrocarbons under ambient conditions. Unfortunately, many of these reagents, like hydroboranes, silanes and complex hydrides, are highly sensitive to air and moisture or are even hypergolic, toxic, expensive or all of the above. Tin hydrides like Ph3Sn—H, Bu3Sn—H or Me3Sn—H are less sensitive to air and moisture but are highly toxic and thus are not useful to detoxify industrial waste or contaminated soil or water.